A Dales Prayer

May the Father's grace abound in you as the flowing water of the beck.

May the Son's love and hope invigorate you as the rising slopes of fell and dale.

May the Spirit's companionship be with you as the glory of the golden meadows.

From the Vicar From the Churches

& Villages Features Reflections Crossword Contact Us What’s Happening? Puzzle Church Services

www.upperwharfedalechurches.org

About…Buckden Art Group

About…Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival

Retelling…Adam and Eve

Try…’Words in Wood’

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From the (retired) Vicar…

No Postcards from the Celtic Dream!

As I’m sitting writing this letter, I am

conscious of the fact that today I should

have been on a train from Inverness,

returning from a week on Orkney, where

we had planned, amongst other things, to

visit many of the remarkable

archaeological sites.

This was our second “COVID–related”

cancellation, the first being Easter on

Iona, where I was supposed to be leading

the Easter retreat at Bishop’s House.

It’s a strange, often hard, time for us all,

but there have been some amazing

positives in the lockdown, not the least

being the outpouring of care for each

other. There have also been so many

instances of creative activity, if our

locality is anything to go by.

We live in a row of terraces, with a ginnel

behind, backing onto the next road. This

ginnel has been, and indeed still is, full of

the evidence of residents building,

repairing, painting, and constructing. New

skills have been discovered, or shared, in

what is still a hive of activity. I have

painted two sheds, a stone wall and

learned how to lay a brick path, which was

an interesting experience!

Actually, I got an experience whilst laying

this path that I had forgotten completely

from my childhood, the feel and smells of

red brick and sand in the heat of summer.

It took me back to my great -

grandparent’s garden, when I was a very

small boy in the Black Country. I could

see clearly it in my mind’s eye, as I was

kneeling down to tamp the bricks into the

sand, and could remember clearly things

that I hadn’t thought about in more years

than I could imagine.Perhaps it was a gift

to me, that I would never have received if

we hadn’t been in lockdown?

What was also interesting, particularly in

the first couple of months, was the

realisation that everything around me felt

clearer and cleaner. With hardly any

vehicles around, it was possible to hear

things that would normally have been

inaudible; we heard a cuckoo for the first

time in years. The air quality was

decidedly better; it was possible to smell

the fields, hedges, crops in the allotment,

well, everything, much more clearly.

Then, God’s Creation became so much

more apparent. It was noticeable that the

bird life became much more numerous

and obvious. My favourite was a heron,

that decided to come right into the middle

of our village to fish in the beck, early one

morning actually flying at low level along

the main street.

We were also visited by several birds that

were unusual for our area. One afternoon,

I heard a very familiar call and could

scarcely believe my eyes when two Manx

Shearwaters flew over our house, but

nothing prepared me for what happened a

few days later.

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Sitting in our front room, looking towards

the fields behind Earby All Saints’

Church, I saw a very large raptor being

crowded by the local rooks. I couldn’t

make out what it was, definitely larger

than kestrel or buzzard. A neighbour saw

it through binoculars - it was an osprey!

Very far from home!

All this has made me thank God, that in

the middle of all the very difficult times

we are living in, glimpses of the glories of

Creation are also apparent, a very real

reminder of God’s presence with us,

always.

May all Creation continue to reveal to us

all that wonderful peace that can only

come from God.

Rev Rod Geddes, retired minister

(Rod will be conducting some services in

the parish during the vacancy)

Our theme for the LINK this month is ‘Creativity’, as we worship the God who created heaven and earth, and has gifted us with that same creativity and love of beauty. We are delighted to have several contributions from the Buckden Art Group, which is also profiled in our ‘About’ feature. Several other pieces of work from the group illustrate the LINK this month, and will feature in future issues.

This beautiful Barn Owl is by Sarah Perry, of Buckden Art Group

As a way of saying ‘thank you’ to James Theodosius for his ministry here in the parish over the last five years, the Buckden singers have created ‘The Blessing’, arranged by Richard Reeday, which is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/xvsG-Xb2U9o. Do listen to it – it’s beautiful!

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From the Churches & Villages Farewell and thanks to James, Mo and family

COVID-19 put paid to plans to gather as a parish to say farewell to James and his

family, as they moved to Skipton at the end of July, where James has taken up the

position of Rector of Holy Trinity. Though we can’t say it in person, we can put it in

writing, and here are four contributions from the churches of the parish.

St Mary’s Kettlewell

To say that James will be missed is an

understatement! He has been an

inspirational Vicar; committed to both the

Church and the community, a talented

musician, a gifted teacher and preacher, a

kind and thoughtful communicator and a

gentle pastor. James’ consideration for

and sensitivity to the feelings and needs of

others in all situations has been

appreciated and will be remembered.

At Kettlewell, his innovative midweek

service of light, peace and thanksgiving,

Sanctuary@6, has become the service of

choice for many. Children have been

encouraged in their journey of faith

through The Playhouse and James’

regular visits to the school. The Nativity

and Epiphany processions have involved

people of all ages, attracting large crowds

as the Bible stories have been played out

around the village.

James has also encouraged and enabled

the four church congregations to come

together as one, united Parish of Upper

Wharfedale and Littondale, in order to

secure the long term future of the Church

in the upper dales.

James, Mo, Charlie, Samuel and Isabella,

you will certainly be missed by the

community of Kettlewell and Starbotton.

We thank you for all that you have

achieved and wish you all the best for the

future. We will look forward to seeing

you out and about in Skipton.

St Michael and All Angels, Hubberholme Church

Hubberholme’s first introduction to

James and family, and he to

Hubberholme, prior to him taking up his

ministry at Easter, was at The Land

Letting Service & Auction in January

2015, an event totally unique to our area.

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James has integrated himself with the

parishioners (church attenders or not)

during his 5 years here, reaching out to the

children, becoming a friend and support to

many, and will be greatly missed.

He has introduced a number of new

services into our existing schedule. The

Open Door at Buckden School Room has

reached out to folk who otherwise were

not members of the church congregation.

He will be remembered for his

fundraising run and moustache growing,

his walk around the parish boundary

accompanied by experienced walkers of

the parish, his musical input during

services, composing the land letting song,

and encouraging and supporting our

musical fund raising events.

His wise words and enthusiasm to all

ages will be remembered and we wish

James, Mo, Charlie, Samuel and Isabella

all the best for their future lives. They

will always be welcome at Hubberholme.

St Mary’s Conistone

The people of Conistone will always have

a special place in their hearts for James

and his family. Both the regular

congregation and non-churchgoers

particularly appreciated his enthusiasm

and thoughtfulness, always having time to

listen to what people wanted to say. His

use of more modern music and hymns and

his innovations such as the Easter Carol

Service and the Prayer Pool brought a new

perspective to Church life. During the

period of ‘ lockdown’ his use of the latest

technologies provided comfort and a

sense of continuity at a difficult time. The

participation of the Theodosius family in

the excellent preparation of on-line

services proved invaluable and

inspirational. James’s stay with us has

passed far too quickly and we wish him a

happy and rewarding ministry at Holy

Trinity, Skipton.

St Oswald’s Arncliffe

James – what can I say that hasn’t already

been said. When he arrived in our midst

five years ago with his lovely family he

was a breath of fresh air. Full of

enthusiasm and new ideas, which may not

always have been welcomed but we tried

and found that new things are not always

so difficult to cope with. Steering us into

a Parish rather than a Benefice has

probably been the best thing to happen in

the long run and we will strive to make the

change work successfully. James gave

some wonderful different angles to many

of the bible stories for which I, for one, am

very grateful. All I can say is that I hope,

as will all of us, that he and his family will

find the move to Skipton a new challenge

which I know he will rise to. It is Holy

Trinity’s gain and our loss.

Thank you James.

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Rainfall for June 2020

Arncliffe: 83.2 mm (7.21 inches)

Beckermonds: At last, the Environment

Agency are able to send out someone to

carry out the month by month readings.

However, the current readings reflect the

period between March and June in two

separate batches.

March & April 2020: 203.0mm (7.99ins),

May & June 2020: 229.0mm (9.01ins).

The total amount of rain that fell at

Beckermonds during the lockdown period

was 432.0mm (17.00ins).

We hope to provide the complete tables of

monthly rainfall soon and the missing

monthly figures when available.

Church and Village News

Church Services in the Parish

The combination of just coming out of the

coronavirus lockdown and going into a

Vacancy in the Parish means there is

much more uncertainty over the pattern of

services in our churches than we have

been used to.

The PCC has agreed a services rota which

should essentially mean there will

normally be services at two of the

churches in the Parish every Sunday, with

the churches involved alternating from

week to week.

James has written to all the retired clergy

who originally agreed to take services

after his departure and has asked them to

carry out this role from the begining of

August to the end of November. To make

life more straightforward for them he has

paired Arncliffe with Conistone and

Kettlewell with Hubberholme, to reduce

the journey time for the clergy each

Sunday. The pattern is that if the first pair

of churches have services one Sunday

then the latter ones will hold them the

following week.

The churches not having services will

normally be open for private prayer that

day, as well as on Wednesdays, with all

our churches observing the rule of leaving

72 hours between allowing people into the

building for either purpose.

However, it has already been necessary to

make some changes to this pattern of

services and private prayer, for reasons

ranging from visiting clergy having prior

commitments to the need to accommodate

events such as weddings and funerals. It

has become clear that we will have to be

much more flexible about how we provide

services in the Parish, at least for the

foreseeable future. As a result we feel that

for the foreseeable future it may not be

appropriate to publish printed lists of

services as we have done previously. We

will try to put posters at individual

churches explaining when that church is

open. However, the services rotas will be

published on the Parish website at

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www.upperwharfedalechurches.org and

on our Parish Facebook page: ‘Upper

Wharfedale Churches’. The reason for

this is that these lists can be easily and

quickly updated or changed as and when

this is necessary.

We know that some people may not be

able to easily access information online or

may not feel comfortable with it. For that

reason, we would ask that if anyone

knows of somebody n that situation,

please could they share the service rota

information with them – including when

changes to services have to be made.

Hubberholme Church

Hello to all Friends and Supporters of St

Michael & All Angels church. We hope

that you are all staying well and coping

with the many changes to your lives as a

result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are

also now entering our vacancy period

because Rev James Theodosius has left

our parish from July 26th to take up his

post at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton; his

presence and guidance is going to be

greatly missed.

Our church is now open for those of you

who are comfortable meeting in a public

place. Services will be held twice a month

at 11.15 am and on other Sundays the

church will be open from 09.00-14.00 and

on Wednesdays from 14.00-18.00 for

private prayer. These openings are in line

with legal guidelines for public places and

ensure we can be closed for 72 hours

between people being in church. This

means flowers will be put in church on the

Wednesday afternoon. Whenever you go

in church you will need to enter your

names and contact details in the book at

the back of church in case of the need for

tracking and tracing - a government

requirement.

According to our August sidesperson rota

Deirdre Halsall & Liz Hird are on duty on

the 9th August and Hazel & Keith Jeddere

Fisher on the 23rd August. Readers at

these services will read using their own

Bibles. If you are on any of the rota lists

and feel unable to help during these times

then please ring Deirdre 01756 760296.

Once the safety rules allow we look

forward to seeing you at future social

events.

Kettlewell Church After twelve years Barbara Lambert is

finding it necessary to cease being in

charge of the Kettlewell Church flower

rota - finding arrangers for the fortnightly

change, checking that they have

remembered to do them (and if not doing

them herself!), and making sure they have

sufficient water each week. For festivals

she asked for anyone to help arrange

decorations for the window sills and made

an occasion of it by providing coffee and

biscuits! In recent years it has proved

more difficult to find volunteers and she

has spent much time and money loyally

making the Church look as beautiful as

always. We are all very grateful. Thank

you very much Barbara.

Littondale Horticultural Show

As I am sure you will have realised we

will not be able to stage our Annual

Littondale Horticultural Show this year

but don’t despair we’ll be back next year!

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Littondale Duck Race

After overnight rain, the Skirfare was

declared too wet (!) so plan B was instated

and the ducks were launched into

Cowside Beck on 18 July. It was a closely

fought sprint with many finishers

avoiding the nets, but the winners were

announced as numbers:

93 Stella Hughes

10 Marlise Leinauer

78 Elaine Holden

102 ducks raced and £480 was raised for

the Churches of Upper Wharfedale &

Littondale.

A big ‘Thank you’ to everyone who

supported the Duck race.

A special mention must go to those who

braved the water and the team of Molly,

Bea, Henry and Wilf who found 31 of the

escapees afterwards. 13 ducks are still at

large, possibly in the North Sea by now?!

Keep a look out, there may be a small

reward for any ducks returned to me at

Carr Farm.

Sarah Paul

Arncliffe Open Gardens

The usual ‘Arncliffe Open Gardens’ had

to be was cancelled due to COVID-19, but

the slight easing of lockdown restrictions

meant it was possible for local residents to

visit one another’s gardens one Saturday

in July and enjoy a glass of wine on the

village green afterwards. Judging by the

beauty of the gardens, it was clear that the

lockdown had given many people a bit

more time for gardening!

Littondale Fete 2020 As announced last month, the Fete in its

usual form is cancelled, as is the 4-mile

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road race. All is not lost however as there

will be some FETE DAY FUN!

This will begin with the LITTON WALK

ABOUT TREASURE HUNT on

Saturday 8th August from 10am to 2pm.

Free parking, signposted at the entrance to

Litton. The Treasure Hunt starts here too.

Follow the map, finding and answering

clues as you walk around Litton. Dress for

the Dales weather, a calculator may be

useful?! Please adhere to social distance

guidelines and be aware of other people

on the footpath which is narrow in places.

(Weather related updates will be posted

on Facebook).

COMPETITIONS – Open to everyone,

young and old, all welcome:

A photo taken during

lockdown. Anything at all that will

make us smile!

A model made of re-cycled materials

– the bigger the better. Send us a

photo of your model displayed

outside and leave it out (weather

permitting) for everyone to admire.

A planted container. Again, please

send a photo and display outside your

house where it can be appreciated by

everyone.

Email all your photos by 6 pm on Monday

3rd August to: mbmaloney@hotmail.com

Photos will be posted on Facebook and

judged by a panel as well as popular

vote. Results announced on Fete Day –

Saturday 8th August.

For further details or clarification, contact

Ruth Cowan (770293) or Sarah Paul

(770282).

Julia Queen, Buckden Art Group

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Features ABOUT….Buckden Art Group

The group was formed in 1989 by a few

friends who enjoyed painting. Meetings

were held in Buckden Schoolroom, and

the following year an invitation was

extended to hold a small exhibition in

Hubberholme Church. Those exhibiting

were Allan and Margaret Akers, Angela

Falshaw, Rita Baxter, Shirley Leach,

Sarah Sayer and Wilfred Griffiths. Some

other early members were John and

Marjorie Davies, Nora Wood, Christine

Lambert and Betty Dennis.

In 1991, members began meeting in

Buckden Institute. New lighting had been

installed and heating was by open fires.

Since then, exhibitions have been held

yearly on the August Bank Holiday

weekend with the exception of 2001 when

the Dale was closed owing to Foot and

Mouth disease.

A preview is held on the Friday evening

to which all village residents are invited

together with many friends and former

members. The exhibition is held for five

days with 200 original paintings on view

plus greetings cards and paperweights.

Group members act as stewards and

Langstrothdale Angela Falshaw, Buckden Art Group

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donations are taken for the Yorkshire Air

Ambulance charity.

Meetings are held on Monday evenings

from September to Easter in the Institute

and once a month in Kettlewell Village

Hall. In winter, some afternoon meetings

take place. This is a very sociable group

with refreshments served and a weekly

informal raffle organised by Megan

Lightfoot to finance the demonstrations

by professional artists held at least once a

year.

New members are always welcome and

help is at hand if needed. The present

membership is around 25, some members

travelling quite a distance. Some of the

group show their work at other venues

such as the North Yorkshire Open

Studios, Skipton Town Hall and Gargrave

Village Hall.

In 2018, the group had a grant from

Craven District Council to purchase

equipment for the exhibition. We take part

in the “Flowers of the Dales” festival with

a section of the exhibition showing

paintings of Dales wildlife and wild

flowers.

The age range of members over the years

has ranged from young children to those

in their eighties and many lasting

friendships have been made over the past

30 years with 120 members being

involved past and present. I have gained

much enjoyment from running the group

and helping and encouraging everyone in

the improvement of their artwork.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

the 30th exhibition in 2020 has been

cancelled but we hope to be able to meet

again when it is safe to do so.

Angela Falshaw (Chairman)

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ABOUT…..Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival…

…..an annual festival of creativity and community

In 1994, the organisers of the first

Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival had just a

few weeks to put together their event: they

had an initial meeting on 1 August, with

the festival running from 28 August to 3

September. Despite this, sponsors were

approached and signed up to help with

costs and prizes, volunteers were found to

bake cakes and serve refreshments, more

than 100 scarecrows were created, a

celebrity judge was found to pick winners,

and Barbara Lambert won the coveted

first prize of a picture of Kettlewell

autographed by cast members of

Emmerdale for her entry “Pondering the

weather.”

Raising more than £1,700 for the school,

after costs, this first festival was a great

success. But, to quote the report from Jean

Briggs to the Friends of Kettlewell

School, “Perhaps the most striking thing

was the way the event united the whole

village and surrounding areas together.”

One of the things I personally love about

it is that it still does.

When I moved to Kettlewell in early 2018

I knew very little about the village and its

traditions. While we didn’t move here on

a whim exactly, we chose Kettlewell

because of a curious feeling I’d had when

viewing properties that the village just felt

like home. Within weeks of moving here,

we’d been to a Mother’s Day tea and cake

event, I’d been to a coffee morning at

Kettlewell Hostel, and people had started

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talking about something completely alien:

a scarecrow festival.

I had no idea what to expect ahead of time.

I’d volunteered to bake and to take a shift

or two in the Hall, and in the absence of

any knowledge of how to get involved

with the actual scarecrow part of things, I

created a vaguely human shape we stuffed

into a Spiderman suit while my husband

made a web from blind cord on the front

of the house. It maybe wasn’t the most

original, but it meant that over the course

of the week we got an appreciation for

how much pleasure visitors got from

seeing the scarecrows. Also, at a selfish

level, there had been much laughter as I

put together Spidey’s body, as well as

when we were finally getting him strung

up in the fading light of the Friday

evening, grateful that the weather was on

our side; gently spitting rather than

tipping it down.

In the course of the following week, the

Scarecrow Festival made me love our new

home even more. We receive a lot of

publicity, in no small part because of the

talent and hard work of Nicky and Sara

who handle our press and social media.

But it’s also because from the much-loved

scarecrow speed trap at the entrance to the

village, to huge elephants - via a cast of

royalty and celebrities, political figures

and cultural icons - so much thought, care

and creativity goes into creating a display

that turns the village into a straw-stuffed

wonderland. There is wit and humour in

abundance and, for all the seriousness that

underlies why we hold it, the focus is still

on the sheer joy of creating something that

will raise a smile.

In the course of the week I saw dozens of

volunteers managing parking, trail sheets

and merchandise, and catering for visitors

in the Village Hall. The sense of

community was palpable and newcomers

were enthusiastically welcomed. I

reached the end of the week in awe of

what people had collectively achieved,

raising funds and creating joy.

So while I’m an ‘offcumd’un’, and a

recent one at that, as Chair of this year’s

scarecrow committee I understand how

great the loss of the festival is on a number

of levels. When we reach August 8, I

won’t have a scarecrow proudly

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displayed, nor will I have been making

cakes or getting ready to do a stint on the

till in the Hall. None of us will. But also,

we’ll have no means of raising the funds

that support some really important local

causes. This is a huge worry, especially

combined with the financial impact

lockdown has had on some of them.

While Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival

can’t go ahead in the traditional form,

we’ve worked hard to come up with a

different solution, one that attempts to

bring the spirit of the festival into a new

environment. The Scarecrow Committee

is small, and has varying degrees of

internet literacy, but everyone has

contributed to the creation of this year’s

virtual festival. What’s more, while we

perhaps don’t have the huge teams

involved that normally would be,

volunteers beyond the Committee have

been baking and providing recipes, the

Buckden Singers have been preparing

songs we can include on the website, and

the children of Kettlewell School have

been creating artwork that will culminate

in a calendar we’ll be selling through the

site. Photos of past festivals have come

from many people to help us create our

virtual scarecrow trail: if you’ve ever put

up a scarecrow for the festival, there’s a

chance your efforts are also contributing

here. Volunteer knitters well beyond

Wharfedale have been busy creating

prizes, too.

This year’s virtual festival is a thank you

to everyone who has supported the

festival in the past, by visiting or by

volunteering, but it’s also a celebration of

decades of our resilient, resourceful

community in Upper Wharfedale coming

together in a shared effort to raise vital

funds for the causes that keep it a

wonderful home for people of all ages.

It’s a promise that we’ll be back next year,

stronger than ever, to welcome visitors

then. It’s our best chance of raising money

to support the causes that rely on us.

Thank you for your help so far. We’ve one

last favour to ask, if we may. On August

8th, please share the link far and wide.

Then pop the kettle on, make a cuppa, and

watch the festival online. We hope you’ll

enjoy it.

Melanie Denyer

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RETELLING….Adam and Eve Jean Briggs, who was involved in the organization of the very first Kettlewell Scarecrow

Festival, has other creative gifts – including telling Bible stories in Yorkshire dialect.

Here’s her re-telling of the Garden of Eden…..

It’s writ in yon Bible ‘at God created ‘eaven an’ earth; ‘t seas an’ ‘t skies; an all ‘ats in ‘em is. Next kem t’creatures great ‘n small; t’sun; an’ t’mooin an’ t’stars annall. It nobbert took ‘im six days… an’ it felt good! Bi t’seventh day God said “This creatin’ lark ‘as tired me aaht so I’m banna call it a day… t’Sabbath day… AN’ AM DOIN’ NOWT! An’ it felt good! Naah, as luck would ‘ave it, God ‘ad also created t’first man… Adam; an’ t’first woman… Eve. They were sat under a tree in’t Garden of Eden when Eve fancied summat t’ayte an’… as it ‘appened… this tree was full o’ varry tasty lookin’ fruit. “if tha thinks thas gettin’ ony fruit frae this particular tree tha can think aggen” Adam sez… “God gev strict instructions to leave this special tree alone.” Weeal tha noz what lasses are like… they allus manage t’get their own way in t’end… especially when they’ev getten n’clothes on… an’ t’pair of em ‘ad bin laikin abaaht stark naked all day. Weeal ‘appen t’penny suddenly dropped ‘cos they began t’feel right embarrassed. That same neet they ‘eard God wanderin’ round in t’garden so they scarpered away an’ hid… but tha noz… tha can’t ‘ide owt frae God… Nay… He didn’t fall off a flittin! “What assta aggeat Adam? Wheear issta ‘idin? Shouts God. Fleared-t’-deeath Adam whimpers “Am ovver ‘ere God… under a bush… I’ve getten n’clothes on.” God softened a bit an’ sez gently “Eeh lad… ‘ow dussta know thas’ getten n’clothes on when clothes aven’t bin invented yet… Ah rekken tha’s getten a guilty conscience… an’ am mithered t’deeath abaaht yon tree I tell thee nivver t’touch… assta bin at it?” Weeal t’game wor up! God played-heck… aye… they ‘ad a reight set-to. He ends-up banishin’ Adam an’ Eve frae t’Garden of Eden – wheear they’d bin livin’ t’life o’Riley. He wor that upset He said they’d atta fend fo’ thessens. They mussta done alreight though… cos they still managed t’ayte plenty o’ fruit else none of us’d be ere, would we. An’ as sure as eggs is eggs aah’ll bet it did feel good! So now tha knaws!

Jean Briggs

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TRY…..’Words in Wood’, Kettlewell churchyard

Words matter. They touch our lives, our

thoughts, our emotions, our souls. Mary

Oliver, a wonderful writer, wrote this

about her understanding of the power of

words in her personal creative discipline

of poetry:

“Poetry is prayer, it is passion and story

and music, it is beauty, comfort, it is

agitation, declaration, it is thanksgiving.

Some poems are radiant and oracular,

some are quiet and full of tenderness,

like a letter written to a friend. Often

poetry is the gate to a new life. Or,

sometimes, the restoration of an old

world gone. it brings new thoughts or the

welcome remembrance of old ones. It

offers simple pleasure, complicated joy,

and even, at times, healing. Poetry does

not work for everyone, but works for the

many who open themselves to it. As the

world changes from the long winter into

spring, and everything takes on a

freshness and a spiritual meaning, just

so poetry can quicken, enliven the

interior world of the listener.”

This idea that words touch the inner

landscape of the soul, that they have

power to speak to the many situations of

our lives is why, if you walk the grass or

stone pathways of St Mary’s churchyard

in Kettlewell, you may happen upon

some simple words inscribed in oak. The

origin of these particular Words in Wood

are found in medieval spiritual writing,

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in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures

and in contemporary poetry. They offer

a moment of reflection ‘along life’s

way’.

As with any personal or spiritual

resource, if you come across one of the

quotes on a particular day you may

hardly notice your eyes have skimmed

the words. On another day, the same

words may tug at your heart connecting

you at once with your sorrows or joys,

your fears or hopes, your gratitude or

trust, whatever is with you in that

moment of your life. To find yourself

momentarily reflecting on the words you

have connected with may offer just what

your heart and soul need for that time.

There are seven Words in Wood along

the pathways. I have chosen two of them

for this article to give a bit of the context

behind what they say. You and I, or the

hundreds of visitors that walk our

churchyard paths each year, may

discover and connect with one of the

quotes in our own way and in our own

time.

Come with me…to a quiet place and get

some rest

These are words of Jesus to his closest

followers. It had been a busy time for

them. The disciples had been out and

about speaking of God’s deep

compassion for each person and

practically caring for the troubles of

those they came across. They were so

caught up in the work they were doing

that they had not found a moment even

to sit and eat together. Jesus saw their

tiredness; their real need to take some

time away to rest a while and recover

their strength.

I love the way these particular words can

call each of us to value again the wisdom

in balancing time to just ‘be’, alongside

the many things we actively ‘do’.

Getting the nurture our souls need to

strengthen our inner peace and joy in

compassion and trust, is helped by giving

ourselves time to reflect on what is

important and sacred in our lives.

Maybe one day wandering the

churchyard paths, these particular words

may feel to be words of concern and

encouragement coming from the heart of

God for you.

You will not be overcome….all shall be

well

Near a bench in the churchyard, under an

old horse-chestnut tree, this oak board

can be found. The words are the words of

a medieval mystic, Mother Julian. We

don’t know her actual name, the name

she is known by is taken from the name

of the church in Norwich where she lived

as a solitary anchorite in a small room

attached to the church building.

She was born in the 1340’s, a time when

the bubonic plague and death were a part

of everyday life. She survived a life-

threatening illness when she was about

thirty and lived through three Black

Death pandemics. It is thought she may

have lost her own children and husband

to the plague before she sensed the call

on her life to begin a hermit-like

existence, effectively confined inside for

the next fifty years, only leaving her

small room in death.

Despite the loss and tragedy she knew so

well in her life, Julian passionately

believed that in God all would in the end

17

be well. When she wasn’t counselling

folk who came to her window for

support, she wrote down, and for the

remainder of her life, reflected upon, the

life-changing experiences she had

personally encountered of the enduring

love of God for herself and for all people.

The distillation of her reflection led her

to write of a God whose love is without

judgement or anger, but rather sustains

and celebrates our lives.

Even in times of great suffering Julian

was clear that we might not always sense

the gentle working of God’s love for us

and for all people everywhere. However,

she believed we are never abandoned

because in and through all the

experiences that make up our human

lives, love is God’s meaning.

Maybe one day someone sitting on the

bench under the old horse-chestnut tree

may find themselves reflecting for a

moment on the troubles in their own

lives and somehow sense in Julian’s

words, that despite all they are coping

with, they too are never ultimately

separated from a love that is deeper than

the earth beneath their feet and closer

than teh air we breathe.

Di Blakey Williams

Churchyard Project Group

18

Crossword Across

1 and 3 Two of the disciples who

witnessed the transfiguration of

Jesus (Luke 9:28) (4,3,5)

3 See 1 Across

8 ‘Let us draw — to God with a

sincere heart in full assurance of

faith’ (Hebrews 10:22) (4)

9 O Simon is (anag.) (8)

11 Form of government under the

direct rule of God or his agents (10)

14 How Jesus found his disciples

when he returned to them after

praying in Gethsemane (Luke

22:45) (6)

15 In The Pilgrim’s Progress, the

name of the meadow into which

Christian strayed, which led to Doubting

Castle (2-4)

17 Glad sin rat (anag.) (10)

20 Spinal column (Leviticus 3:9) (8)

21 Valley of the Balsam Tree with a

reputation of being a waterless place

(Psalm 84:6) (4)

22 The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the

oracle of one — — sees clearly’

(Numbers 24:3) (5,3)

23 Adam and Eve’s third son (Genesis

4:25) (4)

Down

1 David’s great friend (1 Samuel 20:17)

(8)

2 ‘The Lord... will bring me safely to his

— kingdom’ (2 Timothy 4:18) (8)

4 ‘I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I

ate no choice food; — — or wine

touched my lips’ (Daniel 10:3) (2,4)

5 Seeking to vindicate (Job 32:2) (10)

6 Female servant (Isaiah 24:2) (4)

7 ‘For Christ died for — once for all’ (1

Peter 3:18) (4)

10 ‘Offering spiritual sacrifices — to

God through Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 2:5)

(10)

12 Jesus said that some people had

renounced this ‘because of the kingdom

of heaven’ (Matthew 19:12) (8)

13 One of the three men thrown into the

furnace for refusing to worship

Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image (Daniel

3:20) (8)

16 ‘You have — of good things laid up

for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink

and be merry’ (Luke 12:19) (6)

18 ‘There before me was a white horse!

Its rider held — — , and he was given a

crown’ (Revelation 6:2) (1,3)

19 Equipment to Charity Hospitals

Overseas (1,1,1,1)

Solution on next page!

19

Puzzle!!

Congratulations to Ann Peters (again!) who was the ‘first responder’ to last month’s puzzle, finding the spelling mistakes and reorganizing the words to make the line of the hymn ‘All People That On Earth Do Dwell’ (which was also the first hymn in the church service on 21 June).

Harder this month! Find three spelling mistakes that make up the first three words of a well-known Bible verse linked to this month’s theme! Send me an email (smithiwho@gmail.com) when you find it; the answer will be in next month’s edition, along with the names of those who get it!

Keep us, good Lord, Under the shadow of your mercy

In this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,

And lift up all who are brought low; That we may rejoice in your comfort,

Knowing that nothing can separate us from your love In Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Answers to Crossword

ACROSS:. 1, John. 3, And James. 8, Near. 9, Omission. 11, Theocratic. 14, Asleep.

15, By-path. 17, Stalingrad. 20, Backbone. 21, Baca. 22, Whose eye. 23, Seth.

DOWN: 1, Jonathan. 2, Heavenly. 4, No meat. 5, Justifying. 6, Maid. 7, Sins. 10,

Acceptable. 12, Marriage. 13, Shadrach. 16, Plenty. 18, A bow. 19, ECHO.

Church Contact Telephone Numbers The Area Dean: Revd Ruth Harris, 01756 793612 The Methodist Minister: Revd Andrew Webb -691057 Roman Catholic Priest: Mgr Andrew Summersgill -793000 Congregational Minister: The Revd Peter Thomas – 753848 The Parish Administrator: Andrew Hitchon – 380237

The Link The Link is the magazine and notice-board for the Parish of Upper Wharfedale and Littondale, sharing news, reports and items of interest from the churches and our community. If you have something to contribute, please email it to your local correspondent by the 10th of the preceding month.

Editor: Ian Smith - smithiwho@gmail.com Buckden: Ric Halsall - richalsalls@aol.com Conistone & Kilnsey: Kathryn & Philip Butterfield - philip.butterfield@talk21.com Kettlewell: David Nelson - DavidNelsondave@aol.com Littondale: Patsy Campbell - patsy.campbell@littondale.com Advertising Manager: Nicky White - nickyjwhite2000@gmail.com